Harnessing Floodwaters: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Water Resources and Flood Risk Management under Future Uncertainty - PhD

Award Summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £20,780 (2025/26 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

Climate extremes are exacerbating water scarcity and flooding challenges. This PhD tackles an untapped opportunity—turning floodwater from hazard into resource to boost water security in the UK. Are you ready to shape the future of flood resilience and water management? Do you want to deliver real-world impact through collaboration with government and industry? 

We need adaptive and resilient water resources management strategies to address the growing risk of flood and droughts. Yet, despite its potential, floodwater reuse is often overlooked. This pioneering research will investigate catchment-wide solutions to harness floodwaters as sources of supply and explore mechanisms to overcome barriers to their implementation. You will work in partnership with the Environment Agency, and the research could contribute to the development of national strategic water resources infrastructure. Your findings also have the potential to shape policy tools for a more sustainable and resilient future. 

What’s in it for you?

• Network widely: collaborate across government, academia and industry, including leading water sector stakeholders: the Environment Agency, water companies, top consultancy companies, Natural England, Defra and Ofwat.
• Grow as a communicator and leader: build project management, leadership and stakeholder engagement skills and disseminate your research to a range of audiences.
• Shape your expertise: Explore water resources modelling and scenario analysis under climate and socio-economic uncertainty, stress test adaptation options, evaluate trade-offs, analyse policy and governance frameworks, and compare UK and international best practices.
• Develop high value technical skills: strategic and analytical thinking, systems thinking, adaptative planning, and translation of science into actionable policy recommendations.
• Join a world class community: benefit from the vibrant Flood Centre for Doctoral Training and bespoke training.

For further information on the project, we will be hosting a ‘Prospective applicant webinar’ at 2:00pm on the 26th of November. Link to the event can be found here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/376b2195-d8da-47c0-86e2-b18813ec19e3@4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8. 

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1st October 2026

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

8th January 2026

Sponsor

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Supervisors

Dr Caspar Hewett 

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (inc. computing, mathematics, engineering etc.). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.  

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.  

 International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal 

• Once registered select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.  
• Use ‘Course Search’ to identify your programme of study:  
• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8040F
• The Research Area is: Civil Engineering (Water Resources)
• Select PhD Civil Engineering (full time) as the programme of study 

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:  

• A ‘Personal Statement’ (include your research interests in flooding and rationale for your choice of project)
• The studentship code FLOOD267 in the ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field
• When prompted for how you are providing your research proposal – select ‘Write Proposal’. You should then type in the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a research proposal.

In the ‘Supporting Documentation’ section please upload:

• Your CV giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests

In your application you will also need:

• The name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English)
• Language certificate (IELTS/TOEFL), if applicable.

Contact Details

caspar.hewett@newcastle.ac.uk